Securicom offers integrated solution to activating and managing bulk communication campaigns

Securicom, a specialist provider of IT security and communication services, has re-engineered its bulk communication management service, MassComm, to enable companies to create, action and analyse direct communication and marketing campaigns with one integrated tool via the Internet.

The solution is flexible and versatile, accommodating SMS, MMS and e-mail campaigns. MassComm was developed from scratch by Securicom to address the shortfalls of similar solutions. This means companies get a world-class system while benefiting from local support from the very people who created the system.

“Direct communication channels like SMS, MMS and e-mail are the cheapest and fastest way for companies to stay in touch with their customers on a regular basis. Using MassComm, companies can leverage all of these channels within a unified system.

“Our solution boasts advanced capabilities for segmenting customers based on preferences and personalities, allowing for highly-personalised bulk communication, which ensures that all aspects of a company's interactions with its clients are targeted and strategic. This mitigates the risk of companies alienating customers who are fed up with receiving messages and communication that are irrelevant to them,” says Securicom's Operations Director, Dries Morris.

In addition to providing the tools for creating and executing personalised SMS, MMS and e-mail messages for bulk campaigns, MassComm can also be used to run online competitions and polls, manage subscriptions to messaging services, create and process online and e-mail surveys and questionnaires, and manage customer databases.

The technology is easily integrated with existing customer relationship management systems using the MassComm API, which synchronises contact data.

Campaigns are designed and activated from a convenient Web-based management console. The dashboard has an extensive toolkit for creating dynamic message templates, and for planning and scheduling campaigns. All customer feedback and responses are forwarded to a central inbox, which is accessible on the dashboard.

“The online dashboard is where it all happens. It has all the tools and functionality needed for marketers to manage, monitor and report on their marketing campaigns.

“Probably one of the most saleable features of MassComm, aside from the fact that it is locally-made and supported, is that it enables companies to analyse and track customer responses to bulk marketing campaigns. With strong monitoring, analysis and reporting capabilities, marketers are not in the dark about whether or not communication is being received and read.

“Click-through rates from e-mails and SMSes can be traced, and the infrastructure also supports two-way SMS communication, which means recipients are able to easily and conveniently respond to SMS messages.

“Even voice (telephonic) interactions can be tracked with the MassComm system, and because all customer response data is stored in one place, it is effective in closing the loop between the various communication channels.

“As an integrated service, MassComm ties it all together and makes bulk communication a strategic, rather than a hit-and-miss, affair,” says Morris.

MassComm is a fully-hosted, managed service, so there is no capital outlay, and the cost of ownership is dramatically lowered. Subscribing companies have access to Securicom's experts when they need it.

“Although we host and maintain the system upstream, companies have full control over designing, developing and implementing their mass communication and marketing campaigns. The system is also so easy to use. All of this means that companies can activate campaigns whenever they need to, and they are not dependant on any third parties to get things going,” concludes Morris.